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Spring Garden Vineyard, a U-pick muscadine grape vineyard owned by Robin and Wanda Lennon, is opening for a fourth picking season Friday, Aug. 16. The vineyard is at 980 Reynolds Road, DeLeon Springs.
Spring Garden Vineyard will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, probably through late September. Muscadine grape varieties Southern Home, Alachua, Noble (black), Carlos (bronze), Fry and Cowart will be available for picking.
According to the vineyard’s website, muscadine grapes are native to the southeastern United States, including Central Florida. Certain varieties flourish in Florida and are tolerant of high humidity, pests and diseases. Spring Garden Vineyard’s grapes are grown using only natural pesticides and fungicides.
Most of Florida’s production is sold at farmers markets and U-pick operations. The four main uses of muscadine grapes are jellies and jams, juices, fresh or dried fruit, and winemaking.
The vineyard’s Country Store will be open once again. Wanda’s kitchen will be busy making a variety of jellies and jams and some other delicious muscadine treats to be sold to discerning visitors.
At the store, you can also buy fresh grapes, hand-picked and kept refrigerated; frozen grapes in 5- or 10-pound bags; 5-pound bags of pre-picked Carlos and Noble grapes for winemakers; and vine wreaths in various sizes.
The Lennons also plan to pick and freeze a much larger quantity of grapes this year to have them available after the fresh grape season ends.
Spring Garden Vineyard is a member of the Florida Wine & Grape Growers Association and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Fresh From Florida program.
For more information, visit www.springgardenvineyard.com. The website has tips for what to bring or wear, rules to follow during your visit, and directions to the vineyard.
There’s also a primer on muscadine grapes and a list of everything that’s new for this year’s picking searson.
Contact Spring Garden Vineyard at upicksgv@gmail.com, or call the Lennons at 386-804-5510 or 386-804-5519.
